Multi-purpose article of feminine wear



May 17, 1955 M, BONAVENTURA MULTI-PURPOSE ARTICLE OF FEMININE WEAR Filed July 27, 1953 r 1 we...

United States Patent MULTl-PURPOSE ARTICLE OF FEMININE WEAR Mary Bonaventura, East Chicago, Ind.

Application July 27, 1953, Serial No. 370,365

Claims. (Cl. 2196) This invention relates to an article of feminine wear which may be easily and quickly converted from one use or purpose to another while retaining a high degree of utility and attractiveness for each use.

It is an object of my invention to provide an article of great utility to women because of the number of practical uses to which it can be converted as well as its gen eral attractive and stylish appearance for each of the intended use More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide an article of feminine wear and use which can be quickly and easily converted to use as an apron, a laundry bag, a beach bag, a hand bag, a cap, a hood, a snood, a shawl or cape, or a protective headgear or hair dryer.

A further obiect of the invention is to provide a multipurpose article of feminine wear and use, as aforesaid, wherein conversion from one use to another can be effected very quickly and without previous experience.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a multi-purpose article of wear and use as aforesaid, which is very practical for each intended use or purpose, as well as ornamental and attractive in each use.

Another object is the provision of a multi-purpose article of feminine wear which is of great utility in traveling and vacationing because of its many uses with a resulting reduction in the necessity for carrying a separate article for each of the purposes to which my invention can be put.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a study of the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 are pictorial views showing the use of the invention as an apron, beach bag or laundry bag, hood or cap, and cape, respectively.

Figure 5 is a front elevation to an enlarged scale showing details and features of construction of the multi-purpose article.

Figure 6 is a corresponding back elevation with central section cut away. 7

Figure 7 is a view to a reduced scale showing the article converted to a hand bag.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken in a plane identified by the line 8-45, Figure 6 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 9 is a view showing how the invention is applied to the wearers head as an attractive cap or hood or snood.

Figure 10 is a section taken in a plane identified by line 1il10, Figure 7, and

Figure 11 is an enlarged sectional view showing a conructional detail of the rufiled edge of the article of wear.

Referring in detail to the several figures of the drawing wherein like numerals identify the same parts throughout, 1 identifies the multi-purpose article generally which, as best shown upon Figure 8 comprises a generally rec- "ice tangular piece of cloth 2 forming the body or main portion of the article. This piece of cloth is doubled back upon itself as at 3, and stitched along its side edges to form a bag, opening at the top. Alternatively, of course, the bag may be made from two separate rectangular ieces of cloth sewed together along their side and bottom edges. While the material used may be any suitable fabric, or even flexible synthetic plastic sheet material, I have found that so-called terry cloth or toweling makes a very attractive and durable material.

From Figures 8, 10 and 11, it will be noted that the top edges of the bag which form the opening thereof, are folded as at 4, Figure 11, to form a casing for an elastic band 6 secured at its ends to the fabric and slightly foreshortened in the usual way to provide resiliency along the edges. A ruffie 7 such as decorative ribbonv or cotton plaid, is doubled and stitched at 8 between the doubled edges of the cloth 2 and facing strip 9. The overlapping lower seams of the facing and cloth are again stitched at 10 to complete the front top edge of the bag.

The top edge of the back of the bag is constructed in a similar manner, except that the ruifie and facing are omitted. Consequently, it is sufiicient as to this edge, to identify elastic band 11, enclosed in a casing or hem formed in the same manner as in Figure ll, by turning over the edge of the cloth material and stitching on one or both sides of the elastic, to complete the casing.

Referring to Figure 5, it is noted that hemmed ties or bands 12 and 13 are provided, each secured at its one end to or in the seam of a respective side of the bag a little below the opening or top, say about one inch.

The article as thus far described forms a very useful and attractive apron when worn in the usual way as shown upon Figure 1, with the side having rufile 7 outermost. Alternatively, it may be used in this form as a beach bag, by tying the ends of bands 12 and 13 together as shown upon Figure 2.

When reversed and worn with the other side outwardmost, and bands tied about the waist, there is formed a convenient container or bag for clothes-pins or other articles commonly used about the household. Also in this form, the article may be worn over the head, as in Figure 3, to protect the hair or to facilitate drying of the same. In this form the bands may be tied beneath the chin, or may be tied into an attractive bow over the head. Figure 4 shows how the article may be worn as a cape.

Referring to Figure 6, it will be noted that the back side of the article has separable snap fasteners secured thereto as by sewing or in any other convenient manner. Thus 14a and 1411 are the male and female parts of a first snap fastener while 15a and 15b are the corresponding parts of a second fastener. When the article is doubled from the positions shown upon Figures 5 and 6 and the fasteners are united, an attractive and useful hand bag or knitting bag is formed, as illustrated in Figure 7. For this use the free ends of bands 12 and 13 are tied together as shown.

As best shown upon Figure 5, an elastic loop 16 is secured to one side edge of the bag, at about the middle thereof. A button 17 is secured in a corresponding position to the other side edge. Thus when the article is in the form shown upon Figure 7 and the loop 16 is brought over and about button 17, with the ruffie 7 outside, the article forms a neat, attractive and useful cap or hood and is worn as clearly shown upon Figure 9. In this use, the head is received within the forward portion of the folds, that is, the portion identified at 18, Figure 10.

It will therefore be seen that I have invented an article of personal wear and use which is of great utility to women, particularly when on vacation or traveling. In one popular model as illustrated, the cloth is yellow terry cloth and the ruffle 7 and ties 12 and 13 are of cotton Scotch plaid design, with button 17 to match.

taken in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense.

Metallic snap fasteners of non-rusting material are used and either stapled or sewed in place.

While I have shown the preferred form of the invention asnow known to me, various changes in shape, form, size, and materials will occur to those skilled in the art after a study of the foregoing specification. Consequently, i wish it understood that the foregoing is to be It is my desire and intention to reserve all modifications within the scope of the subjoined claims. In the claims, the terms upper, lower, etc. refer to the position of the parts as they are shown upon the drawing.

Having now fully disclosed the invention, what I claim and desire to secure'by Letters Patent is:

1. A multi-purpose article of the kind described comprising, a generally flat bag rectangular in outline and having an opening at the top, said bag opening having a perimeter to fit about the human head, a first separable fastener having its component parts secured respectively to the upper and lower corners of said bag adjacent a first side edge thereof and on one side of said bag, a.

second separable fastener having its component parts secured respectively to the upper and lower corners of said bag at the second side edge thereof and on said one side of said bag, and a third separable fastener having one component part thereof secured adjacent said first side edge midway between the component parts of said first separable fastener and having its other component part secured adjacent said second side edge midway between the component parts of said second separable fastener.

2. A rnulti-purpose article of feminine wear and use comprising, first and second rectangular pieces of fabric secured together along bottom and two sides to form a bag having an open side of a perimeter to fit about the human head, first separable fastener means having its a component parts secured to the respective corners of said first rectangular piece of said bag adjacent one side edge thereof, second separable fastener means having its component parts secured to the respective corners of said first rectangular piece adjacent the other side edge of'said bag,

third separable fastener means having one component part secured to one side edge of said bag substantially mid-way between the component parts of said first separable fastener means and having its other component par-t secured to the other side edge of said bag midway between the component parts of said second separable fastape.

3. As a multi-purpose article of manufacture for ferninine wear and use, a bag comprising first and second rectangular pieces of fabric secured together along three edges thereof to provide an open top having a perimeter adapted to fit about the head of a wearer, means fixed with said bag and operable to releasably secure each lower corner of said bag to the corresponding upper corner thereof whereby said bag may be held doubled about a line midway between its bottom and open top, and meansfixed with said bag at points coincident with the termini of said line, to releasably secure said points together, whereby to form a cap to fit over the head of a wearer.

4. in a multi-purpose article of feminine wear and'use, a rectangular fiat bag of flexible material comprising a rectangular sheet doubled and secured to itself by means of seams along each side edge to form a bag having two sides and an opening at the top only, said material having its top edges hemmed to form a tubular casing, foreshortened elastic strip means within said casing and secured to said bag adjacent the seams thereof, to contract said opening, first and second bands each secured at one end to a respective seam whereby a pull on said bands stretches said elastic strip means, a first separable snap fastener having its component parts attached to one side of said bag at the respective ends of one said side edge, a second separable snap fastener having its com ponent parts attached to the respective ends of the other said side edge and on the same side of said bag as said first separable snap -fastener, a button secured to one side edge of said bag midway between the parts of said first fastener, and a loop for receiving said button secured to the other side edge of said bag midway between the parts of said second fastener.

5. A combination hand bag, shopping bag, apron and cap comprising, a rectangular piece of cloth doubled upon itself and having its overlying side edges secured together to form a bag open only at the top, the edges of said top being provided with foreshonened elastic means to normally contract the same, first and second tie bands each secured at one end to a respective side edge of said bag adjacent the top thereof whereby a pull on said bands stretches said elastic means, a first separable fastener having its component parts secured respectively to the upper and lower corners of said bag adjacent a first one of said.

side edges and on one side of said bag, a second separable fastener having its componentparts secured respectively to the upper and lower corners of said bag adjacent the second one of said side edges and on said one side of said bag, and a third separable fastener having its component parts secured to and adjacent the respective side edges of said bag about midway between the component parts of said first and second separable fasteners, the open. top of said bag having a perimeter adapting the same to fit about the human head as a cap.

References Cited in the file of this patent a rung 

